Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of optical correction, and in particular encompass methods, devices, and systems for evaluating treatment tables for use in treating patients presenting vision conditions.
In a typical refractive surgical procedure, aberrations of the patient's eye are examined with wavefront analysis or other measurement procedures. In turn, the measurement information can be used to generate a treatment table for the patient. Laser eye surgery systems and other vision treatment techniques often involve the use of such treatment tables.
A laser treatment table can include, for example, a listing of coordinate references for delivery of a laser beam during an ablation of the cornea. In some cases, a treatment table includes the value of the discrete radial and angular positions of the optomechanical elements used to scan an image over a portion of the anterior corneal surface. Treatment tables may also contain laser pulse instructions such as size, location, sequence, and the number of laser pulses per position. In order to provide a patient with an effective, predictable, and safe surgical procedure, it is important to generate and implement a treatment table which is accurate.
Although current and proposed treatment devices and methods may provide real benefits to patients in need thereof, still further advances would be desirable. For example, there continues to be a need for improved ablation systems and methods that accurately assess, verify, and validate treatment tables. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions that address certain limitations which may be associated with known techniques, and hence provide answers to at least some of these outstanding needs.